Unriddling Tom
by Tuzilla
Summary: Who was young Tom Riddle? How did he evolve into Lord Voldemort? Why did he kill Myrtle?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 **Who Are You?**

Several professors were gathered in the office of Armando Dippet, long-serving headmaster at Hogwarts. It was summer, and they were discussing things for the upcoming school year. The door opened and in walked Albus Dumbledore, Professor of Transfiguration. He was returning from an assignment to evaluate a boy in a London orphanage named Tom Riddle. The boy's name had appeared in the Book of Admittance. That created an unusual situation since there were no parents, magical or otherwise with whom to talk.

"How was your trip to the orphanage, Albus?" asked Professor Dippet, standing up from his large, throne-like chair.

"I found it to be a dismal place for a child, whether wizard or muggle," he replied with a downcast expression. "They are not cruel. In fact, they are just the opposite. But they are so limited in their ability to promote growth. Alas, it is amazing any survive to become healthy adults."

"What is your opinion of this Tom Marvolo Riddle, Albus?" asked Professor Merrythought, looking at him and the others gathered in his office. "Did you discover his background?"

"It appears his father was a muggle named Tom Riddle, as well. He abandoned his pregnant wife before our master Riddle was born. The orphanage would not know, but his mother was a pureblood witch named Merope Gaunt. She probably had held Mr. Riddle under some kind of enchantment. It apparently broke and he left. She died in childbirth on the steps of the orphanage. None of his family, Gaunt or Riddle, would step up to adopt him. So, he was left to the orphanage."

"He is an unusual boy...perhaps, in part due to the unusual environment in which he lives," continued Dumbledore. "He has exceptionally strong magical tendencies for his age and a certain amount of control over animals and his muggle peers. However, his abilities are raw and undisciplined. He will need a great deal of training to put him on the right path, I fear. Ah, yes. He also claims to be a parselmouth."

"Perhaps he can find direction working with animals," offered Professor Kettleburn, supporting himself on his one leg by holding onto the table with his one hand. "Working with animals can be very helpful for troubled students. Animals have a way of calming people."

"That is, after all, core to our mission at Hogwarts. He will not be the first student to present a challenge to the school," said Dippet, looking at Dumbledore as he sat back down in his chair. "There have been others who presented more than a couple opportunities for guidance by the school during their years."

"Yes," agreed Professor Slughorn. "Students come in all sorts. It is our task to sort them out and give them the opportunity to rise to their greatest level of potential."

"I agree," said Dumbledore, still standing. "There have been incidents at the orphanage between him and the other children, but perhaps, they can be worked through. The strangest thing is him being a parselmouth. That is a very unusual gift, even in pureblood families. It is a worrisome trait."

"That is a rare gift," said professor Beery, leaning forward. "But we cannot judge him purely on that. We need to give all students a chance to grow and prove themselves without being subjected to a prejudiced opinion from the beginning."

'His name is listed in the Book of Admittance, as written by the Quill of Acceptance," noted Dippet, scanning the assembled professors. "We have followed the book for hundreds of years. It has never been wrong. Everyone whose name appears in it has proven to have magical abilities."

"I have to agree," said Dumbledore. "It is important to remember, however, that some students have failed and others been expelled. It is our job to watch everyone, to ensure they are following a good track."

"Of course, Albus," agreed Dippet. "But for now, let's welcome him and see how he adjusts to life at Hogwarts with a friendly pair of eyes."

Dumbledore prepared the acceptance papers and returned to Wool's Orphanage in London to arrange for Tom to spend the school year at Hogwarts. He would then return to the orphanage for the summer, before returning each September for the next school year.

Tom, while still suspicious of the new school, was happy to be leaving Wool's. He felt himself an outcast there, friendless and misunderstood. It was hoped he could find a new life at Hogwarts where he could have friends and grow in a positive way.

Once the arrangements were worked out between Hogwarts and Wool's, a representative was sent to guide Tom and ready him for the move to the school in the fall. While never stated, Wool's seemed almost too excited at the prospect of him leaving, even if he would come back for summers. Many there felt he was unplaceable.

Tom was provided with instructions for getting to Diagon Alley to go shopping for his clothes and class requirement. It was a wondrous place, like nothing he could have ever imagined. The school provided him a stipend to purchase his needs. He wanted to partake of the treats and other novelties being purchased by the other students, but he did not have any additional money. He was also given directions for getting to Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station and making his way to the Hogwarts Express.

The train ride to the school was yet another stranger than life event. He had never seen such an unusual assortment of kids. They looked different, coming from all sorts of ethnic and racial backgrounds, and dressed even stranger, many already wearing their wizarding clothes. He wondered, as he played with his new, thirteen-inch yew wand, if he had made a mistake in deciding to come to Hogwarts.

After the traditional boat ride across the lake, he was lined up with the other first years to be sorted into his house. He knew nothing of the houses and their histories. The Sorting Hat announced "Slytherin" before it even touched his head. He cautiously walked to the table amongst the cheers of acceptance, oblivious to what was to be expected of him in Slytherin, or the reasons why the hat had placed him there.

The other members of Slytherin house greeted him as he took a seat at the table. They told him how lucky he was to be a Slytherin. It was the best house of all. He was going to do well as a member.

Later, potions professor Horace Slughorn introduced himself to Tom. He was the head of Slytherin House. He said he was always available to help members with whatever their need may be. He should not hesitate to ask for help whenever he needed it.

As the school year commenced, Tom's classes almost immediately began peaking his interest. Now, instead of wondering why he could do things, he started understanding his abilities and how to use and control them. Things that had puzzled him, made him feel different, were now making sense, even intriguing him.

He took an immediate liking to his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Merrythought, who had taught at Hogwarts for many decades, found him to be a brilliant student, as did his other professors. She worked hard to teach him everything she knew about the dark arts. She did not have the slightest clue how that would boomerang around in later years after he would become Lord Voldemort. At the time, she felt he was simply dedicated to becoming a first-rate wizard.

"Tell me, Horace," asked Dippet, as they walked toward the dining hall for the evening meal. "What is your opinion of your first year Slytherin students?"

"They are an average lot, but I am getting them sorted out."

"Are there any exceptional ones this year? Galatea says that your young Master Riddle is proving to be extremely talented in her class. Perhaps he will calm our concerns about him. You remember that Albus said he exhibited some worrisome behaviors."

"Yes," replied Horace. "Tom is a bright boy. He may find his way to being a first-rate student and wizard. He is very curious and studies hard. Many of his housemates remark as much, but he is not the most sociable student. He does not have any close friends. He tends to keep to himself. I would like to see that change."

The observation about him not being very sociable was quite accurate, but not by Tom's choice. He was a product of a life at the orphanage where he was always treated as different by the others. He never learned to trust, socialize, to be part of a family. He never learned or understood love. In many ways, he was set up, designed as it were, to eventually evolve into exactly who he would, Lord Voldemort.

Hogwarts was a more complicated situation than when he was in an orphanage filled with muggle children. Granted, he was learning on a daily basis to become a more skilled young wizard capable of defending himself from others, and to inflict what he would call justifiable retaliation on those who attacked or offended him, but so were the others. But the days were gone where he could inflict pain with a look.

He eventually began to notice an unevenness in the abilities of his peers. Many of them were learning, such as him, to become powerful practitioners of their magical gifts. Others were slower to learn, struggling with things he found easy. He started noticing that he had a knack for looking into the minds of others. He could read their thoughts and learn their secrets to some degree. He could also plant thoughts. It spurred him to study harder.

As the first year neared its end, Tom was dreading having to return to Wool's for the summer. He viewed it as being sent back to prison. Even though life at Hogwarts was not perfect, never having converted him from his isolated life at Wool's to a popular boy with several friends, he greatly preferred it. He was learning who he was and what he was capable of becoming from professors who were willing to help him succeed. The library was full of new and wondrous knowledge. Instead of feeling like a prisoner in his room at Wool's, he was able to wander freely, within certain limitations, and actually enjoy his free time.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **Living and Dying in 9¾ Time**

Tom felt like a condemned prisoner taking that last walk as the train. The Hogwarts Express made its way back to London where he would be incarcerated for the eternity of summer in his Wool's oubliette. He hated it there. He always had. But he never fully understood how much until after he had left it and was now being forced to return.

Before the departure back to Wool's, Professor Dippet had presented a very frank discussion to all of the first-year students about their new magical knowledge and the Statute of Secrecy (1689) and the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (1875). This was pretty standard fare, but very necessary. The predominance of violations the Ministry of Magic dealt with on a regular basis came from this age group. Tom listened well, not pleased with being told he could not use his skills on the other orphans. There were many he would like to punish in new and more creative ways. But, by the end of the talk, he knew that would be the end of his days at Hogwarts. He wanted to return to Hogwarts where he could learn and breathe.

Along with the concept of the magical world, thoughts of death as a requirement of being among the living dominated his idle hours in the dank room. Why did we have to die? He could understand why muggles died. But if we are truly magical folks, why can't we prevent death and live forever? There had to be a way to prevent it. We just needed to find it.

Early on the morning of the first of September, the gate at Wool's swung open and Tom walked out like a prisoner who had just received his release papers. He pushed his cart full of luggage and the second year school needs he had purchased a few days earlier through the streets until they finally arrived at King's Cross Station about fifteen minutes before departure time.

He hurriedly wrestled his way through the crowd, making it through the archway between platforms 9 and 10 just moments before time to leave. The porters quickly stored his luggage as he found a quiet seat in the back of a car. The train pulled out, like clockwork, at precisely 11:00 am. He knew, not unlike Harry Potter would sometime in the future, that he was going back to a much better place.

Year two started much like year one. He learned his class routine and the requirements of each class. He was starting to have distinct opinions about each professor. His favorite was Horace Slughorn, who also happened to be the head of his house. His least favorite was Albus Dumbledore. Even though Dumbledore had been the professor who essentially rescued him from Wool's, he felt Dumbledore watched him closer than the rest. That made him feel uneasy. He also liked Galatea Merrythought. She benefitted from being the instructor of his favorite class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

His infatuation with death followed him back to Hogwarts. He started reading about it in the library. Many writers had fascinating opinions on it. They ranged from dark to bright.

"If we are truly magical, then why do we die?" he asked Professor Merrythought.

"That is a difficult question without any clear answer, Tom," she replied. "We have searched for the answers surrounding death for thousands of years. You see the ghosts here. They are all people like you and me who died, but they still live here, and they still have a life of the sort that seems eternal. We also have the folks in the portraits. They are like eternal spirits of people."

Yes," said Tom. "But it is still different. It is still not really living. The ghosts are stuck here in the castle. The portraits can visit other portraits, but none of that is really living. We should be able to conquer death."

"Well, yes, but no one has ever been able to do it. It is one of the limitations we have to accept in relation to our abilities."

Tom was always polite and calm when discussing things with one of the professors, even when he was not happy with the answers. It related back to his life at Wool's. It belied the fire inside him. Even though life had been anything but fair to him for the first twelve years, he still felt the need to live forever.

"Thank you, professor," he said. "I understand what you are saying. It still seems unfair. It will give me something to work on."

Tom had this same basic conversation with his other professors. None of them provided satisfactory answers. They mostly philosophized with him about life and death or referred him to talk more with Professor Merrythought or the headmaster.

In the wane of year two, he began trying to exercise his abilities at mind control on a few students who he felt were particularly vulnerable to his meddling inside their heads. It started off simple enough and was often more comical than dangerous or evil. He would make someone pick their nose with great vigor, or maybe throw their books and classwork into the air.

It began to cross lines when he made a couple of boys come out of the bathroom without pulling up their trousers. He also convinced a third-year girl to do a handstand on a table in the Great Hall. It was very fortunate for her that she had chosen to wear panties that day. The only thing saving Tom from punishment for these acts was the fact no one had the slightest idea that he was behind them.

When school ended, and the trip back to Wool's was upon him, his mood became sullen. He was starting to enjoy his perverse behavior. Now he would be back among the muggles where the use of magic was forbidden.

Over the summer, Tom practiced in his room. He also read in the books he had borrowed from the school library. One of the books, a volume named ' _Magick Moste Evile'_ , that he had managed to purloin from the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library mentioned something called a horcrux. It was supposedly a vessel in which a person has placed a piece of their soul that could be brought back to life in the event of a person dying. Unfortunately, it was short on details about how to make them or bring the person back from the dead. The concept of something that could provide immortality to him was fascinating, to say the least. Finding out more about them would be the quest of his third year.

When summer ended, he found himself once again on the train back to the school. This was as close to experiencing real happiness as Tom ever achieved. The concepts of happiness, love, joy, friendship were still foreign to him such that he failed to even comprehend them or their existence. His was a much more serious, focused life devoid of the normal things occupying the average teenage life.

Once he settled back into life at Hogwarts, he started searching for information about horcruxes. It was going to prove much harder than he imagined.

He queried several of his fellow Slytherins, especially the older ones. None of them had ever heard of such a thing. He scoured the library without luck. The majority of the dark arts books he read failed to even mention horcruxes. Of the few that did, none of the provided any details beyond what he already knew. It was very frustrating. Although he was leery of the idea, he decided to broach the subject to his dark arts instructor.

After class, he waited for the room to clear. Once it was just him and the professor, he walked up to her.

"I have a question," he said to Professor Merrythought.

"Yes, Tom," she replied. What is it?"

"I know this class is intended to teach us about defending ourselves from the dark arts, but I have a question about the dark arts.

"Go ahead, Tom. What are your questions?"

"Are there things you cannot teach us about? I mean are there types of dark arts out there that we will not learn about?"

"What do you mean?

"I was in the restricted section and came across subjects that are not discussed in class. Are there things you cannot teach us?

"The purpose of this class is to teach you how to protect yourself from dark magic, not teach it to you."

"Of course, professor, but how can we protect ourselves from magic we know nothing about? I feel like we are not learning everything we could."

Professor Merrythought continued giving evasive answers to his questions. She knew there were things they were forbidden to discuss, types of magic no one should be learning. However, she could not just come out and say that. It would be tantamount to putting the can of worms on the table and simply saying do not open it.

In the end, Tom thanked her for her time and left the room to ponder his next move. He was a long way from giving up on the search.

The year passed without success. He learned many other things during the year that would prove useful to him, but he still had his eye focused on horcruxes. All of the new knowledge was useless to his mind if he could not learn the secrets of horcruxes.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

 **A Curveball and a Knuckler**

Tom's summer at Wool's ended with him feeling more determined than ever to uncover the secrets of horcruxes. He knew that he could create his version of a perfect world if he could make himself immortal. He could build an army and revolutionize the world in the way he felt it should be.

The return to Hogwarts signaled the start of another year of searching. While it would be proper to say that he was still friendless, he did have a growing collection of followers. Despite his other shortcomings, he was a brilliant student with excellent defensive skills. He was an accomplished dueler and strong defender of those he considered allies to his cause.

He began to realize he had a strong ability to control the minds of those around him. He had that ability at Wool's, but it took time for it to grow into a real asset at Hogwarts. He was beginning to use it to his advantage in many ways, instead of simple tricks and stunts aimed at people he felt needed a comeuppance or reprimand.

Year four came and went without any real progress. He had kept up the search in the library. He still believed the answer was out there, he just needed to find it.

At the end of year four ended, he headed back to Wool's with a pile of books freshly secreted out of the restricted section. One of them, _'Secrets of the Darkest Art'_ by Owle Bullock, was going to be a game changer. How much of a game changer was the book going to be? The Magical World and Tom had no real idea but were about to be cursed to find out.

About halfway through July, he found himself reading the book. It was fascinating with its explicit descriptions of many dark things, but none of them were about the subject of his search. That is, not until he turned a page and saw it.

His eye lit up like he had hit a jackpot on a slot machine. The title of the chapter was ' _The Making of Horcruxes_ '. If ever he was going to find his long-sought key to immortality, this was going to be it.

Tom sat up late into the night reading and rereading the chapter. He was devouring every word, unwilling to part with a single syllable. By the time he fell asleep, the process was deeply ingrained in his mind. The only problem left was the moral conundrum presented by its need for him to commit murder in order to accomplish his goal.

Despite what we know of Tom and his hair-trigger Avada Kedavras in his later years as Lord Voldemort, it is rare for that first kill to be easy for anyone, even if they are on a path to potential immortality and world domination. It was not going to come easy.

Tom returned for his fifth year with thoughts of immortality and world domination rumbling and fomenting in his mind. As the first weeks passed, he could not stop mulling over his readings. It was a moral wrestling match as he tried to rationalize ways in which he could successfully create a horcrux and thus be protected from death.

Everything was progressing at a reasonable pace. Then his plans hit a bump in the road with a chance meeting in the dining hall with a girl by the name of Myrtle Warren. They both sat down at the same table to eat lunch at the same time without noticing the other. Startled, Myrtle immediately excused herself and started to get up. There was no way a handsome fifth year Slytherin was going to allow her to sit so near to him. Instead, Tom told her to stay. She sat back down, ecstatic, but at the same time scared to be actually asked to join someone, let alone someone like him.

Tom seemed to have sensed her desperation and loneliness. It was the same feelings he felt much of the time. He probably also felt an opportunity to exploit it. They chatted a little during their meal, then parted company.

A couple days later they passed in the hall. She smiled, hoping for acknowledgment. He returned the smile and said "Hello". She had a happy expression followed by a big sigh. Someone actually seemed to like her, at least at a base level.

They found themselves having lunch together again a few days later. Myrtle had seen Tom sitting alone and took a chance on joining him. He was quite willing. They struck up a conversation that turned to a discussion of their mutual status of being lonely and without friends. They seemed to be evolving into a strange pair bonded by an unfulfilled need of actual companionship.

In many ways, Myrtle was the female version of Tom. She was a friendless loner prone to melancholy. The two differences were she did not relish this status. She wanted friends and popularity, but other students, such as one named Olive, made certain her life was miserable in ways only Severus Snape might be able to explain thanks to James Potter and friends several years later. The second difference was a lack of Tom's potent powers.

While Tom could certainly sense much of what was on Myrtle's mind, she could not even begin to get inside his head. However, that did not really matter. She was truly happy for her first time while at Hogwarts. She was more than willing to go with the flow.

The relationship took its first major turn in a quiet corner of the library when Myrtle said, "Tom, have you ever kissed a girl?"

Tom hesitated before saying, "No."

"I haven't, either—uh—kissed a boy," admitted Myrtle. "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"No, not really. You are about as close as I have ever come to that," replied Tom, in what was music to Myrtle's ears.

A long pause ensued. Then, for reasons unknown, Tom suddenly leaned over and kissed her. She hesitated, a little unsure of herself, and then leaned in and they both shared their first romantic kiss.

Their romance moved innocently along from there at a juvenile pace. While they continued to kiss on several occasions, neither of them initiated any moves beyond first base toward second. They were both too awkward, inexperienced and shy.

That finally changed on the first day of spring when Myrtle asked Tom following a kiss if he wanted to do more. Myrtle was the more eager of the two of them. Tom's feelings were still held mostly in check by his strong introversion.

Do you want to touch me?" she asked as she loosened her tie and began unbuttoning her top buttons. "It's okay. I want you to do it."

By the end of the encounter, she had opened her blouse and pushed her bra out of the way. It could easily have gone much further, but as in the past, their awkward shyness kept it at that.

They made love for the first time in early January. They used an old classroom near the Potions Room in the dungeons not far from the Slytherin dormitories. It was an eye-opening experience for both of them, to say the least. After it, Tom's quest for immortality slid onto a back burner. He quickly became more concerned with his more immediate desires involving the pleasures of the flesh.

The two of them shared several more very intimate interludes in the ensuing months. Were they in love? Did they even know what love was? It did not matter. They were both experiencing happiness for the first time.

While it was no longer his primary concern, Tom did move forward on his quest to find immortality and power.

One day as he was walking past a girl's lavatory on the second floor he heard something strange. The door was propped open while it was being cleaned. It did not sound like the voices of the cleaning crew, which was nowhere in sight. It was a strange, breathy voice. It sounded like it was calling to him.

He walked into to investigate it, feeling a little odd at being inside a girl's restroom. As he looked about, noticing with a bit of amusement the lack of urinals, a voice from inside the circle of tall wash basins hissed, "Na la ssssuli kisssszah fee dey ssssulah," but all he heard was it saying, "Open the chamber.

"What?" he replied, his voice saying, "Heay?"

Once again the voice spoke, saying, "Doum Na la sssuli kissszah fee dey ssssulah". All he heard was "Say Open the chamber."

He hesitated, then said, "Na la ssssuli kisssszah fee dey ssssulah,"

The ring began opening. Then one of the sinks sunk into the floor. It presented him with a large, ominous, but enticing hole in the floor.

"Foessshe gee hasss zhi feh orrr fous chiece ssssidah," hissed the voice, translating in his mind to "Come join me".

"How?" he asked, sounding like "Haught?"

"Jump," it replied with a "Ssssoung hiya".

Tom was so intrigued at this point it was like he was under the Imperius Curse. He walked up to the edge and looked down into the hole.

"Ssssoung hiya," repeated the voice.

Tom jumped into the hole, falling and sliding until he crashed out into a large opening. The floor was littered with the skeletal remains of what appeared to rats. He was repulsed by them, but he stood and walked, the bones crunching under his feet as he made his way into the passageway in front of him.

The path eventually ended at a huge, round, steel door with multiple snakes decorating it. He was certain this place had something to do with Salazar Slytherin. It had to be the Chamber of Secrets he had heard about in the stories and legends of the castle.

He looked at the door and said, "Na la sssuli kissszah fee dey ssssulah daykiyeah arr gaysssst sstah"…'Open the Chamber of Secrets".

A large snake began traveling around the circumference of the door as the snakes pointing outward from the center retracted one-by-one. Once the final snake had retracted, the door swung open, revealing what was surely the Chamber of Secrets left by Salazar Slytherin at the time of his departure from the school..

The room was large, with a pathway leading across it. The rest of the room was covered by water. The far wall was a huge sculpture of the head and shoulders of Salazar Slytherin. He knew this was supposed to be the home of a monster that only the heir of Salazar Slytherin could control. He was certain he was that heir.

Tom quest for immortal and power revived itself with this discovery. His spare time became a division of investigating the chamber in search of the monster and interludes with Myrtle. Myrtle wanted all of his time, but relished every second she received.

One day, while in the chamber, Tom said, "Come forth"…" Foessshe gee hasss zhi igged da". The mouth of Salazar Slytherin slowly opened. After a moment a huge, snakelike creature he would discover to be a basilisk emerged through the opening. He had found the long-rumored Slytherin's monster.

Tom dedicated more and more time following the discovery to learning to control the monster. He understood the monster was intended to rid Hogwart's of students unworthy to study there. To Slytherin, that meant muggle-borns, or as they are referred to by the elitist of the pureblood community, Mudbloods. It was unclear what his role was in that endeavor, but he tried to learn more of about it.

Even though she was getting less attention since Tom's discovery, Myrtle's change in attitude did not go unnoticed by the other girls. Most of them attributed it to her finally adapting to life here and no longer letting people like Olive Hornsby, get to her so easily. Despite the fact Myrtle was a well-known tell-tale and rampant gossip, she had finally found a secret worth keeping. The news of Tom and her stayed safely hidden from the school's social radar screen.

It was on June tenth and the school year was waning. Mrytle had been moaning for days about the prospect of a long, sexless summer in front of her. But on this day Tom and Myrtle found themselves in a hidden alcove along the shore of the Black Lake. They had just finished a session of lovemaking when Myrtle looked at Tom with the type of serious expression you would not expect so soon after the culmination of the event.

"I have something I have to tell you," said Myrtle as she looked into his eyes with a devoted gleam.

"What's that?" asked Tom, expecting to hear 'I love you,' for the twenty-seventh time, as he caught his breath.

"I'm…uh…well…I'll just be out with it. I'm pregnant"

Tom tensed and moved to get up. "That's…um…that's like wow. How can we deal with it? We'll get it trouble if anyone finds out," he said, always nervous about anything that could remove him from the school and force him back to Wool's.

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out. I love you and I am sure it will all be okay."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

 **I Yelled Don't Look, Myrtle,**

 **But it was Too Late…**

Tom more or less disappeared from view over the course of the next three days. Although Myrtle had no idea as to his whereabouts, most of his time was spent reading or in the Chamber of Secrets according to Helena's ghost, who found the two of them interesting and would frequently follow them.

Tom found Myrtle at breakfast on the morning of the thirteenth.

"Where have you been, Tom?" she asked. "I have barely seen you the last three days."

"School stuff. I've been studying. I need to be ready for some test."

"Okay, I was just wondering."

"Meet me in the second-floor girl's lavatory after lunch," he said as he got up. I have something special to show-uh-tell you."

"Okay."

He asked her to meet him in the girl's lavatory immediately after lunch. She agreed without question. She was wondering why he had been so distant the past three days.

At lunchtime, while it is true Olive Hornby was teasing her about her glasses, she did not run from the hall because of it. She used it as a convenient excuse to escape to her meeting with Tom. Unseen by her, Helena Ravenclaw followed her from the dining hall.

One could imagine she thought the girl's bathroom was a strange place for their meeting, him being a boy and all, but she took advantage of it by using a stall while waiting for him. She was humming in a cheerful manner according to Helena. When the door opened she heard some strange noises as someone start talking in a weird, breathy language.

"She opened the stall door to see who it was before I could warn her," Helena told me. "All she saw was a big pair of glowing, yellow eyes as she died. She never saw Tom."

In the years since she has never learned of Tom's betrayal of her. Helena has held it as one of her secrets, up until now, when she told me about it. The story Myrtle tells everyone about her death is a concoction made up to cover up her affair with Tom, the pain of losing him and their imagined future. She also does not want to be associated with his future as Lord Voldemort.

Tom used her death to create his first horcrux from his diary. If not for Harry Potter, a second young girl, Ginny Weasley, would have died for him in order for him to return to life.


End file.
